The WTF Booker shortlist

No, really. I'm thrilled that The Inheritance of Loss, Kiran Desai's second novel, made it to this year's Booker shortlist--but what a shortlist it is. M J Hyland and Hisham Matar weren't available in India up until this week, and I've only just started Edward St Aubyn's Mother's Milk. Kate Grenville, Kiran Desai, Sarah Waters--all three have strong novels. I can understand dissing Peter Carey and Nadine Gordimer at a pinch, but David Mitchell didn't make it? And what, no Claire Messud?? But then again, I've been looking forward to Hyland's novel--and Matar can write. So perhaps this year's Booker judges actually read their way through the slush pile for a change...


Booker Prize 2006: shortlist

Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss (Hamish Hamilton)
Kate Grenville, The Secret River (Canongate)
M J Hyland, Carry Me Down (Canongate)
Hisham Matar, In the Country of Men (Viking)
Edward St Aubyn, Mother's Milk (Picador)
Sarah Waters, The Night Watch (Virago)

Quick update:

--The Guardian on Kiran Desai going from "virtual unknown" (really? The Inheritance of Loss got strongly positive reviews when it was released a few months ago) to "potential Booker winner". "The first book took four years to write, the next eight, so I guess the third will take 16," she says, with a wry smile. "Then it will soon be time to retire."
--Peter Carey may not have made it, but the Aussies aren't complaining.
--Boyd Tonkins pulls out every blasted racing metaphor--heavily-backed steeds falling at the first fence, also-rans, the publisher's gallop on a separate track--so that you don't have to. Not that I blame him, something about The Booker sends every one of us hack writers off to the Racing Form for inspiration.
--The Times wonders why David Mitchell didn't make it.